Process and apparatus for heating metal for rolling.



J. B. McKlBBlN Pnpccss AND APPARATUS 'FOR HEATIING METAL FOR ROLLING.

- APPLiCATION FILED NOV. I3. 1915'. 1,227,163.

l ate nted May 22,1 17;

2 SHEETS-SHEET I- Mai/$741114 1A/ APPLICATION FIL-ED NOV. 13. 191 5- Patented May 22, 1917.

INV ENTOR m wdc X. wflwwwmm md 2 s J um w a v m6; h xx m UNITED srnrns PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN B. MOKIBBIN, OF GRAFTON, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO EDMONDS J. SUGDEN, 0F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR HEATING METAL FOR ROLLING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 22, 1917.

I Application filed November 13, 1915. Serial No. 61,244.

. an improvement inthe art of heating lighter gages of metal in combination with a. series of reducing means as rolls operating at intervals upon a blank of considerable length, in connection with the intervening application of heat by my improved furnace.

Ordinarily, the reduction of comparatively thinmetal from bar or other form to sheets, strips, or any of the commercial forms black plate, tin plate, or other similar forms, is by reducing the blanks to the desired gage in assembled form known as packs.

In such methods, the resulting finally reduced lengths are comparatively short, and

my invention has in view to reduce the I metal continuously in a singleblank, whereby to secure uniformity of gage, economy of manufacture, ,and any desired practicable length.

The process involves and contemplates the action on the metal blank by 'a' plurality of rolling or reducing operations, in connection with a re-application of heat, whereby to renew the original temperature of the blank and constantly maintain it in a reducible, ductile condition, especially in view of the comparatively thin gage to which the metal is being reduced. 7

By my process, the initial heat and ductility of the. metal is thus maintained practically uniform from start to finish during the rolling or reduction steps. The'process involves the passage of the blank, as it comes from the reducing rolls, through a re-heating furnace so arranged and provided with elements as to insure the exposure of the metal to the heat for a continued period of time, and at various points throughout its passage through the furnace before it emerges therefrom and is introduced into the next set of rolls.

For such re-heating steps, I have provided in which metal is used in the arts, as for a furnace of special design involving a number of operating or transmission levels for the passage of the blank or sheet, in combination with series of operating feed rolls, guides, and other suitable mechanicalelements which maybe utilized to assist in automatically receiving, conveying, controlling and directing the passage of the material back and forth through. the furnace continu-' ously during the re-heating process, and delivering it at a predetermined point of'exit directly into the next succeeding stand of rolls or reducing elements, through which it passes, and again into a similar re-heating furnace, from which it emerges and is intro-.

duced into the next pair of reducing rolls, the re-heating and reducing operations being continued or multiplied as frequently as necessary, depending upon the material being manufactured.

In the accompanying drawings, I have illustrated a preferred form of mechanism utilized for carrying out my improved proc ess, in which Figure 1 is a sectional elevation showing the arrangement of the re-heating furnaces and the mill adapted to perform the various re-heating and reducing operations.

Fig. 2 is a sectional plan View, showing the path of the metal through the various stands of rolls and re-heating furnaces in its passage from the preliminary heating furnace to a delivery table.

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic representation, in elevation, of the mill used, indicated gen erally by the line III.- III. of Fig. 2.

.Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic or elementary representation of the blank. in its passage through the heating furnace and around the feed. rolls thereof.

Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are detail views illustrating guiding mechanism for the blank, in connection with said, feed rolls.

In the drawings, 2 represents the initial heating furnace of any suitable construction, in which the blanks 3 are heated, and

from which they are drawn out singly and introduced to the pass of the first stand of 'reducing rolls 4, 4, or if desired through openings 6, 7, respectively, through oppo- 1 and the reducing rolls 4, is a series of elongated feed rolls 8 operating alternately inopposite directions, as indicated, and suitably adjusted to engage the blank, whereby to feed it into the furnace at one level, feed it out of the furnace on return movement on the next higher level, and into the furnace again, as often as desired. I

At the opposite side of the furnace A is a series of feed rollers 9 similarly adjust able and driven, whereby to co-act with the blank and with the feed rollers 8 to effect continuous in-and-out feed ofthe blank successively at different levels. The blank is supported in its progress through the furnace by a series of water-cooled rollers 10 mounted by their journals in bearings at each side of the furnace, actuated by suitable gearing 11, and provided with water circulation supply pipes 12 connecting with a supply manifold, as will be readily understood.

I By thismeans, the blank is supported in its horizontal passage through the furnace,

back and forth. and the supporting rollers are protected from the heat, in a manner well understood.

At the final pass of one such vertical series of passes, the blank is deflected laterally, as indicate 1 at a, Fig. 4, and in dotted lines in Fig.2, over to the vertical plane of the next series of back and forward passes, where it then passes between the upper pair of feed rollers 8 and is carried down between the lower of said rollers and the next lower one, and re-introduccd into the furnace, passing back and forth until it reaches the final pass, when it is again deflected laterally, as indicated at 7), Fig. 4, and in dotted lines in Fig. 2, again passing upwardly around one of the rolls 9 and between it and the next supemdjacent roller for reintroduction into the furnace in the same manner.

This circulation of the blank is continued during a sufficient time to effectually reheat the blank, when it emerges from the furnace, on a different level from the firststand 4, and passes between the rolls of a second reducing stand 13, 13.

The number of back and forth'passes in the last vertical series of passes is preferably reduced to two, so that the blank may be again introduced into the proper pass of the mill, utilizing the main central drive for the mill, as shown.

For the purpose of positively returning the blank after it emerges outwardly of the furnace from between either rollers 8, 8, or 9, 9, I provide a curved guide 14 adapted .to direct the advancing end of the blank around to the nip of the rollersat the next pass, such guide being set sufliciently close to the periphery of the roller and properly recessed, if desired,-as to provide a sufficient clearance space.

For the purpose of effecting the lateral deflection of the blank edgewise, as above guide 14. In such case, the semi-circular guide 14 may be ,provided with the ordinary inner annular cavity 15 for ordinary return of the blank, and, at the proper position, with a diagonally arranged annular cavity 16, the side edges of which will deflect the blank, as indicated in Fig. 6, throwing it over in the desired direction.

Supplemental guides 17 17, may be arranged at each side of thedesired diagonal pass, having inner receiving grooves 18 for the opposite edges of the blank, and positively directing it in the desired travel over toward the opposite set of feed rolls.

Similar receiving guides may there be provided, if desired, or the blank may be merely introduced into the pass of the rolls and returned in the same manner as when first introduced into the furnace, then following the desired straight path back and forth until it has traversed the vertical series of passes, when it is again deflected in the same manner, the operation being carried out until a sufi'icient number of passes have been made, whenthe blank is sufficiently re-heated for the next reducing operation through the rolls 13, 13, as de scribed.

Beyond said rolls the blank is introduced into'a similar furnace B, having similar feed rollers 8 and 9 and the other several elements arranged in the same manner as furbeyond those shown to any desired number,

and after passing from the final stand of reducing rolls, the finished article maybe delivered upon a receiving table D of any suitable construction, by which it Will be carried to any desired point.

By the foregoing treatment the blank in its passage through the several stands of reducing rolls is diminished in thickness, and the resulting loss of heat is renewed by the passage of the blank through the next succeeding re-heating furnace, the several operations providing for the renewal of the heat in proportion to the successive reductions and resulting cooling, so that the blank is continuously maintained in a ductile condition clear to the last reduction.

' When desired, the last re-heating furnace may be used as an annealing furnace, Without any further reduction, the finished shape metals consisting in passing a blank back and forth through the same heating furnace at series of different successively higher and lower levels and at varying lateral positions therein, and in changing the lateral position of the blank at the termination of each series of levels.

- 4, A heating furnace of thecharacter described comprisinginclosing walls and an interior heating chamber, means at one side of said furnace for introducing a blank I therethrough, means at the opposite side for re-introducing the blank at a different level,

"and means coincident with the uppermost receiving its final reduction before passing through such last furnace. In such case the reducing rolls 15 would be dispensed with.

The advantages of the invention and its application to the rolling of the various shapes and qualities of metal will be readily appreciated by all those familiar with the art.of manufacturing metals of the lighter gages. It will also beunderstood that the invention maybe utilized by the substitution of various other modifications in design, construction or operation of the apparatus, and that the process may be utilized to suit various conditions of application Without 2. An improvement in the art of manufacturing thin metal shapes consisting in passing a continuous blank through reducing aneans and then passing the blank after it emerges from said reducing means back and forth through a heating furnace at different lei 'els and at different lateral positions to llE-lltllt the blank before it is again passed through additional reducingmeans, and re peating said reheating and reducing operations successively.

3. An improvement in the art of heating and lowermost level at each side for deflecting the blank laterally during its re-introduction. p

5. A heating furnace of the character described comprising inclosing walls and an interior heating chamber, means at one side of, said furnace for introducing a blank therethrough, guiding means at the opposite side for re-introducin the blank at a different level, provided with an annular diagonally arranged pass for deflecting the blank laterally in its passage through the furnace.

6. A heating furnace of the character described comprising inclosing walls and an interior heating chamber, means at one'side of said furnace for introducing a blank therethrough, means for supporting the blank in its transit through the furnace, means at the opposite side of the furnace for re-introducing the blank at a different level, and means coincident with the uppermost and lowermost level at each side for deflecting the blank laterally during its re-introduction. 1

7. A heating furnace of the character described comprising inclosing walls and an interior heating chamber, means at one side of said furnace for introducing a blank therelhrough, means for supporting and feeding the blank in its transit through the furnace, means at the opposite side of the furnace for reintroducing the blank at a differcntlevel, and means coincident with p the uppermost and lowermostlevl at each side for deflecting the blank laterally during.

its re-introduction.

In testimony whereof I hereunto allix my signature in the presence of a witness.

' JOHN B. McKlBBIN. Witness:

W. A. HECKMAN. 

